Main Content

08:25-01

7Roads

Cold temperatures and icy conditions continue across the state.
The Virginia Department of Transportation says primary roads are clear, but
watch for icy patches.
V-DOT officials say most of the secondary roads have been cleared as well,
but the cleanup effort hasn't been easy.
The chemicals and heavy equipment are not working in the extreme cold.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;

Road salt is ineffective in frigid temperatures.
And plow blades are no match for the ice.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 35:03:11
IN Q=a lot of
((LAURA BULLOCK/VDOT: A LOT OF OUR SNOWPLOW BLADES ARE BECOMING DAMAGED
BECAUSE OF THE ICE. WHEN YOU RUN METAL AGAINST ICE. SOMETHING'S GOING TO GIVE
AND IT'S NOT USUALLY THE ICE.))
SUPER=01-Laura Bullock/VDOT;
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=usually the ice
(----------------)
VO-NAT

In addition to the blades, engines are blowing up and transmissions are
failing.
But break downs and packed ice haven't totally stopped V-DOT.
Operators are working on roads that have not been plowed.
These roads are mostly in the higher elevations.
(----------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=HOLD

Also Roanoke City will resume trash and recycling pick-ups today.
Christmas trees will be picked up February 12th.

7Power-Out

Well just when folks needed it the most, a large section of Roanoke was
without electricity last night.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke/Last Night;

South Roanoke lost power for more than three hours as the American Electric
Power Company worked to restore it.
Apparently a power line broke near the Roanoke River leaving hundreds of
residents without power.
Power officials say they haven't determined the cause of the damage and
won't be able to assess it until this morning.
However, it has been temporarily fixed.
(----------------)
wipe/wipe/wipe

7Water-Break

Roanoke city crews have also been busy trying to fix a major water main
break.
It happened at about nine last night on the corner of Mt. Vernon and Brandon
Avenue.
Officials say extremely cold weather caused the break.
Workers valved it off, however some residents in the area are still without
water.
Officials say the spill may cause hazardous road conditions as the water
turns to ice.
(----------------)

7Bus-Ax

Some 40 University of Florida Students are back in the sunshine state this
morning following a serious bus accident in West Virginia while on a ski trip.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Pocahontas Co., WV/Friday;

Their chartered bus ran off the road during Friday's storm and slid 50 feet
down a snowy hillside.
SUPER=03-Roanoke/Last Night;

Six students left from Roanoke Regional Airport.
Many say they'll be glad to get back to school.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 22:33:48
IN Q=I think that
((ANDY DAWSON/FLORIDA JUNIOR: I THINK THAT EVERYONE IS HAPPY TO BE ALIVE. IT
WAS A SCARY THOUGHT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BUS AND SEE WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED.
WE'RE ALL GOING HOME. THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING RIGHT NOW. ))
SUPER=01-Andy Dawson/Florida Junior;
RUNS=:15
OUT Q=thing right now.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Not all will make the trip back to Gainesville.
Two are in a West Virginia Hospital and one remains in the University of
Virginia Hospital with 2 broken legs and a punctured lung.
You'd think after this incident they'd want to stay in Sunny Florida next
winter, but apparently the ski slopes of West Virginia still beckon.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=Yea it's
((LISA HOLCOMB/FLORIDA JUNIOR: YEA IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S SITTIN' US BACK RIGHT
NOW BUT YOU CAN'T BE AFRAID OF EVERYTHING. BUT NEXT TIME WE'LL FLY INSTEAD OF
TAKING A BUS UP.))
SUPER=01-Lisa Holcomb/Florida Junior;
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=bus up.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The students did manage to squeeze in two nights at the Snowshoe Mountain
Resort-- but did not ski.
(----------------)

7SCHOOLWATCH

A number of schools in the region are closed or delayed this morning.
Stay tuned to News 7, we'll keep you update throughout the morning.

7Weather

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=nle
TAPE#=none
GRAPHIC=none

Today is going to be sunny, but extremely cold.
Highs are only going to be in the low 20s.
The wind chill factor will be below zero, right now its about 20 below.
The cold continues tonight with temperatures in the single digits.
Right now in Roanoke the temperature is 4 degrees.
Looking ahead, tomorrow will be sunny and a little warmer - temperatures
high in the mid 30s.

55Cold-Wx

Temperatures in many areas approached record lows overnight as crews
continue to clear the roads of snow and ice.
And this morning Virginians head back to work after a storm that claimed at
least four lives.
Medical experts say caution is the rule when working and playing in these
frigid temperatures.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke;

Each time you venture outside they say you're at risk for hypothermia.
Doctors suggest dressing in layers.
Also don't drink alcohol before you venture out.
Alcohol actually makes you more vulnerable to frost bite.
The experts also say take extra precautions if you're working outdoors.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 1:28:25
IN Q=you have to take
((DR. EVELYN MANNETA/ROANOKE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: YOU HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT
IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING SOMETHING OUTSIDE WHERE YOU MIGHT SWEAT. YOU HAVE
TO BE ABLE TO TAKE SOMETHING OFF AND VENT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE ONCE YOU SWEAT
YOU'RE WET AND YOU LOSE EVEN MORE HEAT THAT WAY.))
SUPER=01-Dr. Evelyn Manneta/Roanoke Memorial Hospital;
RUNS=:11
OUT Q= heat that way.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Also remember to take your time when you're shoveling snow.
Your heart rate rises quickly in cold temperatures making some people at
risk for a heart attack.
(----------------)

55SchoolWatch

And because of the cold weather and icy road conditions a number of school's
are closed or delayed this morning.
Stay tuned to WDBJ, we'll keep you update throughout the morning.

55Water-Break

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=rjo
TAPE# 96-9
GRAPHIC=NONE

In Roanoke this morning, crews are still trying to secure a major water main
break.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke/Last Night;

It happened last night on the corner of Mt. Vernon and Brandon Avenue.
Officials say extremely cold weather caused the break.
Workers valved it off, however some residents in the area are still without
water.
Officials say the spill may cause hazardous road conditions as the water
turns to ice.
(----------------)

55Apartment-Fire

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=Dal
TAPE# 96-1
GRAPHIC=Fire

Roanoke fire investigators say a child playing with a cigarette lighter is
what sparked an apartment fire yesterday, forcing three families from their
homes.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke/Yesterday;

It happened in the Salem View Apartments.
Fire officials say the boy apparently set clothes and papers on fire in the
bedroom.
The fire was so hot it melted the screens and blinds of an apartment in the
next building.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 1:36:06
IN Q=to the particular
((GARRY BASHAM/DIST. CHIEF ROANOKE FIRE-EMS: TO THE PARTICULAR APARTMENT THAT
WAS ON FIRE IT JUST ABOUT TOTALED THE INSIDE OF THAT APARTMENT. THEN WE HAD
EXTENSIVE WATER AND SMOKE DAMAGE TO TWO OTHER APARTMENTS. WE FIGURE THE DAMAGE
AT 70-THOUSAND DOLLARS.))
SUPER=01-Garry Basham/Roanoke Fire-EMS;
RUNS=:15
OUT Q=70-thousand dollars
(----------------)
VO-NAT

This is the second fire at this apartment complex in two weeks.
The first one did an estimated 2-thousand dollars damage to a kitchen.
In both cases smoke detectors were present, but batteries were missing.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 1:36:48
IN Q=if the management
((IF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEX IS GOING TO SUPPLY THE DETECTORS,
THE OCCUPANT SHOULD HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THEY WORK.))
RUNS=:11
OUT Q=MAKE SURE THEY WORK
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Basham recommends changing the batteries in your smoke detectors twice a
year.
He says the families have moved into vacant apartments in the complex.
(----------------)

55TRIGON

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=MORNIN
WRITER=MEL
TAPE#none
GRAPHIC=Trigon

A House of Delegates Appropriations subcommittee and the full Senate
Commerce and Labor Committee will take up bills today dealing with money from
Trigon's proposed conversion to a
stock corporation.
The health insurer has agreed to funnel 159 million dollars to the state
for a health and educational
foundation.
The payment would be in exchange for permission to go for-profit.
Consumer groups say Trigon should be
required to pay more because it received state tax breaks for
years.

55Weather

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=nle
TAPE#
GRAPHIC=

Today is going to be sunny, but extremely cold.
Highs are only going to be in the low 20s.
The cold temperatures continue tonight with lows dipping back into the
single digits.
Tomorrow will be sunny and cold again with highs in the mid 30s.

8Roads

The commonwealth continues to be locked in a deep freeze this morning, with
some parts of the region registering below zero temperatures overnight.
The frigid weather is hampering efforts of the Virginia Department of
Transportation to clear roads of snow and ice.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;

Road salt is ineffective in frigid temperatures.
And plow blades are no match for the ice.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 35:03:11
IN Q=a lot of
((LAURA BULLOCK/VDOT: A LOT OF OUR SNOWPLOW BLADES ARE BECOMING DAMAGED
BECAUSE OF THE ICE. WHEN YOU RUN METAL AGAINST ICE. SOMETHING'S GOING TO GIVE
AND IT'S NOT USUALLY THE ICE.))
SUPER=01-Laura Bullock/VDOT;
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=usually the ice
(----------------)
VO-NAT

In addition to the blades, engines are blowing up and transmissions are
failing.
But break downs and packed ice haven't totally stopped V-DOT.
Operators are working on roads that have not been plowed.
These roads are mostly in the higher elevations.
(----------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=HOLD

Also Roanoke City will resume trash and recycling pick-ups today.
Christmas trees will be picked up February 12th.

8Ax

Some 40 University of Florida students are back at school this morning
following a scarey ski trip to West Virginia.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Pocahontas Co., WV/Friday;

Their trip was sidetracked when their bus ran off the road and slid 50 feet
down a snowy hillside.
SUPER=03-Roanoke/Last Night;

Six students left from Roanoke Regional Airport.
Many said they were just glad to be headed home.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 22:33:48
IN Q=I think that
((ANDY DAWSON/FLORIDA JUNIOR: I THINK THAT EVERYONE IS HAPPY TO BE ALIVE. IT
WAS A SCARY THOUGHT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BUS AND SEE WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED.
WE'RE ALL GOING HOME. THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING RIGHT NOW. ))
SUPER=01-Andy Dawson/Florida Junior;
RUNS=:15
OUT Q=thing right now.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

But all of the students didn't make the trip back to Gainesville.
Two are in a West Virginia Hospital and one remains in the University of
Virginia Hospital with 2 broken legs and a punctured lung.
You'd think after this incident they'd want to stay in Sunny Florida next
winter, but apparently the ski slopes of West Virginia are still appealing.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=Yea it's
((LISA HOLCOMB/FLORIDA JUNIOR: YEA IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S SITTIN' US BACK RIGHT
NOW BUT YOU CAN'T BE AFRAID OF EVERYTHING. BUT NEXT TIME WE'LL FLY INSTEAD OF
TAKING A BUS UP.))
SUPER=01-Lisa Holcomb/Florida Junior;
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=bus up.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The students did manage to say at the Snowshoe Mountain Resort two nights--
but they didn't get to ski.
(----------------)

8Planned-Parenthood

The president of Planned Parenthood is stepping down after 19 years at the
helm.
Kathyrn Haynie Parker recently remarried and plans to move to
Charlottesville with her husband.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 23:43:13
IN Q=planned parenthood
((KATHRYN HAYNIE PARKER/PLANNED PARENTHOOD PRESIDENT: PLANNED PARENTHOOD
DESERVES AT LEAST 100 PERCENT ATTENTION FROM ITS CEO. I KNEW THAT WITH THIS
MARRIAGE AND MOVE I COULD NOT DEVOTE THE AMOUNT OF TIME PLANNED PARENTHOOD
NEEDS.))
SUPER=01-Kathryn Haynie Parker/Planned Parenthood Pres.;
RUNS=:13
OUT Q=planned parenthood needs
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke;

During her tenure she has seen Planned Parenthood grow.
Parker says that is demonstrated by the increased number of centers and the
degree of community involvement.
Her successor has not been named.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 13:45:21
IN Q=THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
((THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS TAKEN THIS SEARCH VERY SERIOUSLY. THEY ARE
LOOKING NOW AT FOUR FINALIST FOR MY POSITION. THE EXACT DATE WHEN THAT PERSON
COMES ABOARD WILL DE DETERMINED BY THAT INDIVIDUAL.))
RUNS=:12
OUT Q=BY THAT INDIVIDUAL
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS HOLD
Parker's last day is April 30th.
She plans to stay involved with Planned Parenthood.
Organization officials say they offer medical treatment and education.
They say they also act as an advocate for family and health issues.

8SCHOOLWATCH

A number of schools in the region are closed or delayed this morning.
Stay tuned to News 7, we'll keep you update throughout the morning.

8Weather

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=nle
TAPE#
GRAPHIC=

Today is going to be sunny, but extremely cold.
Highs are only going to be in the low 20s.
The cold temperatures continue tonight with lows dipping back into the
single digits.
Tomorrow will be sunny and cold again with highs in the mid 30s.